Polka Dot Crib Mobile

Polka Dot Crib Mobile

I just love this! I think I shall be making one for little Arabella's room :)

Dad's Day

I consider myself to be one of the luckiest girls alive--especially when I think of the men that the Lord used to bless my life.  Today, as our nation sets aside a special time to honor those men among us who serve the role as "Father", I'm taking the time to reflect and rejoice in my favorite dads.

1.  My Husband, Hunter Newby.  We have been together for so long that I'm starting to have fewer and fewer  memories that he's not a part of--and I wouldn't have it any other way.  I knew as soon as we met that we were in this for the long haul.  We are a team, and soon we'll be a trio :)  I cannot wait to see his tender heart and incredible passion pour into his raising of our daughter.  He is devoted, energetic, and most importantly in love with Jesus.  I know that he will be an amazing role model and Godly influence on our children, and I am honored to be chosen as his wife and the mother of his children.

2.  My Dad, ET Browning.  I'm the baby of three girls and I have always been a daddy's girl.  His sagacity and honesty have always been a fortress for me, and now my husband also leans heavily on them.  He cares so deeply for me and my sisters and it is so evident.  He, with my mom, instilled deep values in all three of us that set the stage for our success.  Nothing is acceptable but my best--behavior and effort.  He set high goals for me which taught me to set high expectations for myself.  He and my mom taught me that family time is a necessity--vacations, dinner, and game nights made our bonds unbreakable.  His ultimate goal (which he achieved in all three of us) was to secure a love of Jesus and His teachings in our hearts.  I am the woman I am today because of the love and guidance of my parents.  I am so thankful for an earthly father who enabled me to know the love of my Heavenly Father.

3.  My Father-in-Law, Frank Newby.  I want to thank you for raising Hunter to be the stronghold of our family.  You taught him a work ethic like none I've ever witnessed before.  He protects and provides; with him, I never worry.  I also thank you for instilling morals and character in him to be a strong Christian leader in the family and in the church.  He will be an amazing father, and your example is a lot of what I owe for that.

4.  My Brother-in-Law, Aaron Valentine.  You are an amazing dad to the three most beautiful children I have ever seen (until Arabella gets here--then I have a feeling they'll be a super close runner-up in my book!).  You give them your attention and your care; you're not afraid to discipline, but you also encourage them to have fun.  You and Melonie are doing an amazing job with all three of them, and I just want you to know that it doesn't go unnoticed.

5.  My ever-loving Savior, God the Father.  You have blessed me with some of the most amazing men you ever created.  You satisfy all of my needs and enable me to be a better person and steward in your kingdom by providing them to me.  The gift of your son is overwhelming beyond words--you're mighty, tender, loving, and uplifting.  You gave me life and the gift of a precious eternity.  Thank you seems so inadequate...  We all have a Father who is worthy of our utmost praise, rejoicing, and devotion every day.  "Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him--his name is the Lord.  A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.  God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing..."  Psalm 68:4-6

Happy Father's Day to all of the amazing dads out there.  I know I've been blessed...

Ignorance is bliss

Fosh--the unpredictable one.

Clay--the adventure seeker.

Hunter--the special one.

So around December or January, Hunter got the brilliant idea to take a trip with his two best buddies from college, Clay and Fosh.  Originally they were going to drive to Canada and back, finding whatever interesting activities they could along the way.  As the planning continued, however, that trip morphed in to a six day, unsupervised Mancation in the woods of Tennessee--camping, white water rafting, canoeing, minimal hygiene.  Ya know, Bear Grylls style.  Now, to most of you, this may seem like a nice little outing of friends; harmless, right?  However, to those of you who know these three boys as well as I do and have seen them together in action, you will probably agree with me when I say that for this trip, ignorance is bliss.  These are three boys who built a potato gun and shot them over the interstate (complete with glo sticks so they could watch their little spuds in action); boys who stole traffic cones and blocked off one of the most student-populated subdivisions in Ruston, and spied on the victims for kicks; boys who have absolutely no shame, fear, or reservations--especially when their women are not there to make them behave!  Their actions are unpredictable and their stories are unforgettable (although they don't share all of them...).  I love all three of them dearly (of course, I'm a little partial to Hunter, but ya know), and I have no doubt this will be a trip they talk about for years to come.  However, all I'm able to do as I sit at home is wonder what kind of trouble they're causing.  And to be honest, I'm kind of wishing I was with them :)

Lord help the people of Tennessee!

I second that emotion...

Whoa, these pregnancy hormones must be kickin' in full force!  I have been an emotional basket case the past few days (which isn't all that much out of the ordinary for me--but this is even worse than normal)!  The feeling at the bottom of this, however, is one of loneliness.  It's summer, so I'm already at home by myself all day long.  This isn't always bad for a little hermit like me, but we've been SO incredibly busy the past few months, that I'm struggling with just sitting for a while.  My house is clean.  I have no craft to make.  My friends are busy.  And worst of all, my husband keeps going out of town.  Normally I could hold myself together through these minute mole hills of life; but I'm telling you, it's been rough!  I'd appreciate your prayers for me to fight off these emotions of fear and loneliness, for it is written,

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear..."  Psalm 46:1-2a

and also, "You will leave me all alone.  Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me."  --John 16:32

Cardstock and Stamping and Crafts, Oh My!

Some time last year, a group of ladies I know started a stamping club, and I joined.  Now most people think postage stamps when I say I'm in a "Stamp Club."  Fret not, it is a completely different stamp!  One of the ladies is a demonstrator for Stampin' Up, and we use and buy all of their products to create our magic wonders :)  We have a small amount that we are required to pay (which most of us spend more than that anyway!), but we get to pay by buying product!  This little group of 6-8 ladies and our time crafting together have become so special to me.  I look forward to it every second of every day!  Hunter has so many hobbies...he shoots, he plays golf, he runs.  I didn't do anything but work.  Stamping and crafting gifted me with a new social network as well as something fun to help me keep my sanity.  I already can't wait until our meeting next month!  Here are some of the things we've created so far:

Summer Scrapbook page we made last night.

Fourth of July cupcake decor! (made last night)

Back to School Scrapbook page.

Scrapbook Page

Scrapbook Page (love this one!)

A couple of the many cards we've made.  

Christmas/Winter Scrapbook page (love this one too!)

My favorite thing we've made!!

Go create something!

a new journey...

I've wanted to do this for a long time now and just never got one going.  So here it goes... (thanks, Rachel, for the inspiration!)

I'm a very lucky wife to my amazing stronghold and support system, Hunter Newby.  We've been together for a third of my life--crazy, huh?  I don't know where my life would have taken me without him; we are truly a team.  I chose the title "Dancing in the Minefields" based on the song by Andrew Peterson.  The lyrics truly captivate our marriage and the journeys life is taking us on.

To make our journey even a little more interesting, we're expecting a new little delivery to come around the end of October :)  Now, Hunter is a man's man.  He has two brothers and two male cousins.  He doesn't do frills and ballet; purses and Barbies are out of his league; make-up and jewelry are not in his vocabulary.  However, as that tall blonde nurse moved that magic ultrasound wand over my ever growing tummy yesterday, it was revealed to us that our little delivery is going to be a girl!  That news made our roller coaster ride a little more interesting, but we're so excited to start this new chapter together and have our own little family!